“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” – Inigo Montoya, ~The Princess Bride (1987)

Maybe Symbol, Status, and Personality by Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa might help.

This book recommendation on language came from Twitterverse.   The conversation was inspired by Dresden, the capital city of Saxony,  a German state, issuing a nazi emergency in their council meeting.  According to @annameierPS ‘s thread (see link). It seems the word “emergency” has a different meaning for some Germans.

As a writer, I’m reminded that although we may say the same words, often, we don’t speak the same language.  Our comprehension is colored by our perception.